An escaped ram called Rambo caused mayhem in Welwyn Garden City after it butted a police officer and left him in hospital.

The irate male sheep fled from a paddock close to the B1000 on Wednesday. Officers eventually corralled the beast at Sir Frederic Osborn School, in Herns Lane.

But in the process of capturing the woolly fugitive, true to its Sylvester Stallone-portrayed namesake, the ovine drew ‘First Blood’, as an officer was charged and hit in the face.

An ambulance fast response car was scrambled to the scene after the officer was downed in the rampage, but it was not needed to convey the constable to A&E.

A shocked eyewitness said: “Apparently it [the ram] escaped from Whitwell [and] was called Rambo.

“One policeman down got head-butted it’s [the ram] up on [a] charge of GBH.”

A Hertfordshire Constabulary spokesman said: “Police received a report at 9am on Wednesday, of a ram loose in the B1000 area of Welwyn Garden City.

“Officers attended and the animal was contained and captured in the grounds of Sir Frederic Osborn School.

“It was later collected by its owner.”

He added: “During the course of containing the ram an officer was butted by the animal and suffered injuries to his face.

“He was taken to the Lister Hospital for treatment.”

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: “We didn’t attend that ram. We gave advice to the police on how to capture it safely.”

The spokeswoman added that the charity also gave officers advice on tracing the ram’s owner.